There's a Price to pay
by TomLehockySVK
Summary: After Max sacrifices Chloe to save Arcadia Bay, Nathan is sent to prison, but gets out after 20 years thanks to his fathers connections and money. Max, who never recovered after her tragic loss, is out for revenge.
1. Chapter 1

She would never forget. How could she, after what she went through to save her, time and again, throu time and realities, lives, and personalities.  
She would also never forgive the one that was responsible for her loss, for all her pain and suffering from the beginning. Nathan Presscot.

His introduction, but also the downfall of the broken and manipulated. The day she would find her powers, the very same where she was powerless. Only as a spectator  
to the tragedy, her soulmate would be seen and heared for the last time, before the gunshot had broken her heart and soul, there was no going back now, time had to go on,  
but the pain was here to stay.

-

Justice was to come, but only temporarely. 20 years have passed since he was put behind steel bars, but not any longer. Thanks to his father and his connections,  
and the strongest of ways, money. What were ages for Nathan, was an eternity for Max, who was counting time to the day she would hopefuly have her revenge.

Life for her since the day she lost everything would never be the same. Unable to talk to anyone, for nobody would understand what her poor mind experienced  
for 5 days of hapiness, love, and in the end, tragic loss. Taking fate into her own hands, she would prepare her own "Dark Room" at the outskirts of Seatle.  
Only with the weakest of light sources, one table, two chairs, nothing more was needed to keep her new guest comfortable.

-

"Hey there, it´s me ... Nathan. I just wanted to say hello and ask if we could maybe ... see each other, get a cup of coffee ?" he said with an unsettled voice.  
"Ou hi, Nate ... i ... don´t know. And i´m not sure it´s a good idea. What was between us happened a very long time ago, and what happened the last day  
we saw each other ... i accepted it would be the last time. Memories will never go away, but the ache left me a long time ago and i don´t want it back anymore.  
I moved on with life and don´t want anything from the past to haunt me."  
"I know i just ... need to talk with someone and you are the only person with who i had the little happiness in my in life."  
" ... i´ll have to think about it. But, if anything, i´ll choose the place and time."  
"Thank you, thank you very much Victoria."  
"Beep, beep, beep".

-

As the Sun went over the horizon, so did Max's silhouette, hiding under her hoodie, not interested in the World around her. It was dead to her anyway, and only one life  
worth finding, and putting to an end. She kept in contant with a few people from Blackwell Academy over the years just in case Nathan would contant any of them.

The main interest, would obviously be Victoria, with who he had spent most of his time when they were students. So it wasn´t a surprise when Max received  
a call from Victoria about Nathan wanting to see her. "Hi Max, i know you wanted me to let you know if Nathan would call me if he´d ever get out of jail.  
He called me yesterday, and wanted to see me, but i told him i´ll think about it." she spoke with a very uneasy voice as she didn´t know what to do.

Max frozen for a moment, realizing it was her one and possibly only chance to do this, but anger took her over. "Just give me his number, you don´t need to know  
anything more, i want to leave you out of any danger of what could happen." Max´s thoughts were full of rage and was unsure what answer she would get,  
naively hoping Victoria would accept her request. "Max you sound like you want to hurt him, what´s going on?" Max held her left hand forward, rewinding just enought  
to take back her last sentece and to think it through.

She took a deep breath, and was calmer now. "I know you and Nathan were close, but you must carry on with your life and leave the past behind you, becouse none of it matters anymore. Especialy not the person that cause so much sadness in your life and is responsible for such a tragedy. But, i would like to ask you a favor.  
Could you arrange the meeting, but let me go there instead of you ? I need to speak with him, but it needs to be a ... surprise. I would be forever in your dept."

Victorias voice was more peaceful "You´re right, no point in seeing him again. But, yeah, i could do it, after all, that´s what friends are and you helped me out when i needed it, you helped me gain my confidence when i lost it. It´s time for me to return the favor. I´ll text you the details once i make the call with him". "Thank you Victoria, you´re golden." Max expressed her gratitude. "No problem Max, see you around". As Victoria ended the call, Max exhaled heavily "Well, that was easy".

-

The next day, Max´s phone rang, new message received - Victoria. "He´s comming to Seatle, He´ll be waiting at the Green Lake Park, N. 54th Street at 7:00 pm".  
Perfect, Max thought to herself, getting ready to hit the road, taking only the most neccessary with her, the end was night. She parked her car around the corner  
and decided to walk for the rest, thinking about her next move. The time was 7:10, she was starting to think she missed her mark. She also knew she wouldn´t  
be able to recognize Nathan after such a long time, so it was time to improvise.

So she started to ask any person she met along the way what they´re name is, but none would be the one she was looking for. "Hello, sorry to bother you, may i ask  
you your name ?". The man looked confused "Huh ? Hello there. If you want to ask me on a date just ask away". Max already tired of having similair responses from  
other men before, but persisted "Yeah, can i get your number ?" The man smiled "Sure, the name is Nathan Presscot." She felt like time froze, he was right infront  
of her, all her pain and suffering standing there and smiling at her, as if nothing happened. "Hey, you alright ?" he asked . "Now i got you", she replied silently.

Rewinded, and ready to take action, Max wouldn´t hesitate for a single moment. Taking the syringe out of her pocket, waiting for Nathan to be less observant.  
She took the syringe, but Nathan spotted her comming from behind and avoided the needle. Making a quick turn and hitting Max into her cheek. She stumbled,  
but the hit wasn´t strong enought to knock her out. Stretching her hand, time would go back before her wreckless move. "Fuck, ouch, well this isn´t going to be that easy", she thought to herself and spitting out a bit of blood.

This time she would walk by him, the syringe was once again ready and hidden, Max would wait till the coast was clear and try to spice things up "Hey there babe,  
wanna have a good time ?". Nathan laughed a little as Max was walking closer and closer to him and thinking about what good time is comming for him soon.  
"Umm, thank you but i´m waiting for someone already, but i could have time tomorrow if you´re interested" he replied with a smile, that Max would only want to  
punch to oblivion. "Aaaah dear but i want you right now" words that would make her skin crawl, but she knew that she had to act it out to get a chance.  
She started to get closer to him, almost making body contant, when she would attempt to kiss him, she would carefuly take her syring and stick it into  
Nathan´s neck, then she immidiately jumped back in disgust.

"WHAT ARE YOU ... What have ... who ...", Nathan was slowly loosing consciousness and started to trip, falling on the ground. "Eat shit and die",  
were the last words he heared from her before he passed out.

-

Pitch black, no sounds, no voices. As Nathan woken up, he noticed handcuffs were holding hins hands in front of him and his legs tied with duck tape to the chair  
he was sitting on. "Hello ? HELLO ? Can anyone hear me ? HELP ME SOMEONE !" His desperate screams echoed through the room. But Max was waiting outside,  
waiting for the drug to lose it´s effect so that she could confront him.

Max entered the room. Nathan seemed as if he´s almost fallen asleep from all the waiting for the unknown, but that would be soon over as Max´s right hand  
stretched forward, her index finger pressed firmly back, the trigger was pulled, the empty case flying from the chamber, only the muzzle echoes through the room  
as the bullet hits Nathan, who´s limp body had hit the ground, the same moment as the bullet case. It was only silence left, but also just the beginning,  
she thought to herself.

Standing there, motionless, she would process that for a moment she achived that for what she waited for 20 years, but whas it enought ? She would not make it so easy  
for him, not after all the pain she had to endure for such a long time. Stretching her left hand, Max rewinded, the casing returning to it´s chamber, Nathan into the chair,  
the door closed, lights out. A minute has passed, the door opened and it was once again time to tell Nathan her goodbye. Nathan heared it, but had no time to answer.  
Only a moment passed, her hand a bit shaken, but already knew what results to expect. Two shots seemed enought, lifeless, on the ground, it was over, once again,  
but not the last time. so rewinding took place once again.

The door closed, the room consumed in darkness, Max wanted to continue the same routine she started to ease her anger. But also knew it was time to move forward  
and make an introduction. Opening the door, the outside light hits Nathan, who was more than a little weary and uneasy as to who the kidnapper is, he was frightened  
and asked, "Who are you ? What do you want from me ?". Max stood at the opened door, turning on the dim light that didn´t expose her face too much, only for her  
to see better at the beaten person she was holding so much hatred against. She started to slowly walk forward, sat on the chair so that she´ll be face to face with her enemy. She began to stretch her hand into her jacket, to reveal the gun that belonged to the killer of her closest person, slowly putting in on the table, right between them on one side,  
and keys to Nathan´s handcuffs on the other.

"Welcome to my Dark Room. Please behave and stay seated. I am part of the person you killed. The other me died, and the rest is left to walk along side the living,  
but really wants to leave. To be with my partner in crime, as her partner, till the end of time". Nathan didn´t seem to catch up, only looking puzzled as what philosophical  
nonsense the woman is telling him. "What are you talking about, what do you want from me woman, why am i here?". "I want you ... to apologize",  
Max said with an expressionless face, her eyes became a bit cloudy. "I want to be with my angel, she´s waiting for me, but i´m still here, for one final purpose".  
Nathan looked at the table, and without second thought took the gun and aimed. Only the expression of anger filled his beaten visage.

The chamber pulled back, echoing through the empty room, but then immidiate silence. "You didn´t apologize", she said with a calm voice, as she opened her left palm,  
revealing she´s taken out the rounds beforehand. Nathan´s face turned even more scared, as Max stood up, reaching for her pocket to take out her steel tonfa baton  
and hitting his forearm, breking it. Only a loud scream was heared with unimaginable pain, the gun fell on the ground with Nathan aswell, as he was trying to cope  
with the shock of his injury. Max only slowly walking to pick up the weapon and putting it gently back on the table, ignoring the screams of agony.  
Max then crouched next to Nathan that was lying on the ground.

"Get used to pain, it´s one of the only feelings you´ll be facing the following days", she said with a blank stare. You father has a hella amount of money,  
but i´m not giving you for no ransom. I have skills that i perfected through the years. If you do what i ask, this will all be over soon. You won´t suffer anymore,  
i won´t punish you anymore. But if you don´t ... i will hurt you ... i will break you ... and i will kill you. Goodbye now, Nate. For now. 


	2. Chapter 2

The morning Sun came over the horizon, but soon fell under the darkness of rainy clouds. The cold would blew leafs through the road, as Max´s car passed by and parked near her hideout where Nathan is held captive. She turned off the engine, but kept in her seat for a moment to think about the person she´s avenging.

„I´m so sorry my love, each day is harder and harder without you. I miss your gentle hug, those blue angel eyes, hearing your voice. I´m sorry i wasn´t there for you when you needed me the most.  
I ruined everything ... and now you´re gone, it´s all my fault. If i was a good person i would have done something. But this will all be over soon. I just need you to watch over me for a little longer, becouse all those moments between us were real, and they´ll always be ours".  
A few tears started to flow down her cheeks and one sob aswell. She wiped them after a moment, exited the vehicle and went after Nathan.

The door opened and the light was turned on. Max was dressed in complete black, with her hoodie covering most of her face, she would only be looking at the floor as she started to walk towards her nemesis. He didn´t say anything, only waiting for what Max is up to. She sat down as the day before, she folded her hoodie and looked at Nathan, who was just looking as if his thoughts were far away, holding his broken arm.

„Kept you wainting, huh ?" Max asked calmy.  
„Please excuse the seemingly long wait, i had some other business to atend to, and also thought i would keep you to your thoughts aswell. Before we continue, here, some water and pizza. I don´t want you dead, yet, at least."  
She put the water bottle and pizza box on the table, put she kept the gun in her holster. Nathan starwing and dehydrated immidiately stretched his hand and took a piece and a big gulp. For a few minutes, Max waited patiently for Nathan to finish, she didn´t take her eyes of him for a moment, still thinking how satisfying it was for her to cause him physical pain and watching him crumble on the cold floor.

After Nathan was done with his meal, he looked at Max.  
„Why are you still keeping me alive ? You´re gonna kill me, right ?". She let out a small grin.  
„Ou dear Nathan, i already killed you a thousand ways, burried you in a thousand graves, but of course you wouldn´t know about that, but at one point, i had to stop rewinding time becouse it started to become an addiction, watching you die, and die again in such beautiful ways. And your bleed-out record is 10 minutes. I´m really proud of you."  
Nathan was looking at Max with his mouth opened and puzzled as he had no idea what is the women in front of him talking about, thinking she was on some serious drugs.

„I see, look, lady, my father can help you with any problems you´re havi ..."  
Max stood up and stretched her left hand and held Nathan by his hair very firmly .  
„YOU are my problem, Nathan ! You are my pain and suffering i had to endure for years ! You took HER away from me, and you didn´t even let Rachel have a proper burrial you fucking piece of shit !"  
as she was holding him by his hair, she clenched her other fist and punched him in the face, breaking his nose and making him fall on his back, his eyes lost focus and blood started to flow down his cheeks to the side. After a moment he regained full consciousness and only sighs of yet more pain were overcoming him. Max then came next to him and helped him back on the chair.  
„And i´m no lady i can tell you that. My name is Max Caufield." Nathan of course wouldn´t know about her in this timeline since they never met, so he didn´t pay too much attention when she said her name.

„Your father can help ? The same way as he _helped_ you ?"  
Her voice started to be filled with more anger with each word.  
„Your father doesn´t care about anyone, why do you think it took him so many years to get your sorry ass out of jail ?"  
She thought for a moment, with Nathan only trying to stop his bleeding.  
„Did you really think that by saying how _sorry_ you are with that pitiful voice message, that all will be forgiven and forgotten ? You pushed Kate into killing herself, i saw the photo of Chloe in your room ... you killed Rachel, Chloe and Kate you son of a bitch !"  
Now full of hatred that was building up in her with each word, she took out her steel tonfa again, pushed the table out of the way and stretched her arm for a swing. Nathan looked up, his fearful eyes unable to say anything else, closed a moment before she´d hit his right knee with full force, the room echoed with an animalistic scream of pain and suffering as Nathan fell on the floor once again.

Max slowly kneeled next to Nathan .  
„I believe i said that i won´t hurt you. Well, i lied. I want to hurt you as much and for as long as possible, before watching you very slowly die. But you don´t want to give someones hopes up right away, right ? Ha ha ha ! Hah, i crack myself up sometimes."  
Nathan was already physically and mentally broken, he couldn´t utter a single word, only tears started to slowly flow from his eyes, realizing he´s not going to make it out alive.  
Max then heared a ringtone. She reached her pocket to check Nathan´s phone.  
„Well now, look who´s calling !"

Victoria was comming home from work late at night as usual. After she entered her house, closed the door and locked it, suddenly an intruder grabbed her from behind. She tried to struggle but was overpowered pretty easily. All she could see was black gloves holding her mouth so nobody would hear her screaming, and hear the man calming her down.

„Sh sh shhh calm down now, calm down, nobody will hurt you if you´ll calm down and do as you are told." said the mysterious man. Victoria´s fast breathing started to slow down after a while, and she just nodded with her head to signal an agreement. „Good girl, now come with me". He held a pistol right to her back, taking her to the living room, where more people were already waiting. The lights then turned on and she stopped at the enterance to the room, scared as to why are there two more masked people with guns and an elder man, who was sitting in the armchair and holding on to his crutch.

„Well, hello there miss Chase, plase have a seat." Said the elder man, while the other were standing close to him and one near her, keeping an eye on both. She then slowly sat down, uneasy about what the men want from her.  
„Divorced, no children, i´m sorry for your, situation, but mine is more problematic. My name is Sean Prescott, nice to finaly meet you. I´m sorry we are seeing each other at this very unpleasant time, and under such unfortunate surcomstances, but i´m sure we can do something to change it for the better, for both of us."

„Mister Prescott ? Wha .. what do you want from me, why are you here ?"  
Victoria asked with a fearful and anxious voice.  
„My son told me a lot about you during his days at the Blackwell Academy. How close the two of you were. Even if i didn´t pay too much attention to him, during that time. I was stupid, i´ve put my career in front of everything, and everyone. All i wanted was for my son to continue in my shoes and be successful, and continue where i would have left off, like i did after my father before me. But he did a stupid mistake and had to pay for it. Some might say that 20 years was too much, but i wanted to give him enought time to think about himself. And also you can´t make it too obvious when you bribe people with power in important places. Now i believe you and Nathan had a call a few days back. Can you please tell me what was it about ?"

Victoria froze for a moment.  
„I ... he ... he told me he just got out of jail and that he wanted to see me. But i was scared and rejected." She said trembling.  
Sean sighted for a moment „Are you sure ? Is that what really happened ?" Victoria only noted in response.  
„Well, that´s very unfortunate, i was thinking that you are mature enought to not lie, especialy to men with guns. And it doesn´t give me any pleasure knowing what comes next."  
Sean looked at the man on his right side and nodded to him. The man nodded back and left the room. Victoria looked at Sean „Where did he go ? What are you gonna do ?"  
After a short moment the man returned with another woman that had a bag over her head, handcuffs, and tape over her mouth becouse her talking was inaudible. The man sat her down near Sean, Victoria was only looking at both of them, frightened more with every passing moment.  
Sean started talking still in a calm voice „Since you won´t tell me what i want, i have to use more _persuasive_ methods."

He pulled the bag from the woman´s head, to reveal Courtney Wagner.  
Courtney tried to start screaming at the sight of Victoria but nothing could be heared since her mouth was covered with tape. Victoria stood up immidiately and screamed „You son of a bitch let her ..." the man next to Victoria hit her over the had with the grip before she could finish her sentence, promptly sitting her back with painful blow.  
Sean continued „Now that were all here, we can continue." he pulled out a 1911 pistol and pointed it at Courtney´s knee. „Last chance to tell me what i want to know, and this time, it better be the truth." Courtney started to shiver uncontrollably.

„ALRIGHT ALRIGHT please don´t do it please just stop it i beg you don´t hurt her!" Victoria started crying from fear of what Sean would do, after a moment she looked at Courtney who´s eyes were already red from all the crying. Victoria then started to talk, looking straight at Sean .  
„I ... i told your son i would go, but ... but i didn´t go. Instead my friend wanted to meet him"  
She then broke eye contact and was seemingly lost in thought for a moment.  
Sean slowly pushed the pistol closer the Courtney „Go on, i´m listening. Who was your _friend_ ?"  
Victoria released a tear that ran down her cheek „Max Caufield. She said she wanted a surprise meeting with him."

Sean grinned „And from what i see, it was a surprise indeed. You´re gonna try calling him right now, and hope that he will pick it up. For your friends sake."  
Victoria took her phone, with her shaken hands, and started calling Nathan.

-

„Well now, look who´s calling !" said Max, smiling at the phone, and then looking back with the same smile at Nathan on the ground. „I think that Victoria misses your sorry ass already. Hmm, what could she ever want from you ... would _you_ know maybe ? You are worthless to everyone soooo ... i´m probably just gonna ignore this one." And then she canceled the call request. „So, where did we left off ?"

Victoria with an even more frightened sight froze for a moment „The, the call was canceled.  
Sean looked mildly annoyed „I guess it´s going to be one less knee on this girl then". Courtney started screaming and crying hysterically.  
„NO NO PLEASE GIVE ME ONE MORE CHANCE" Victoria screamed crying. Sean sighted at her for a moment, and slightly gasped, thinking „Alright, one more try. So make it count this time".  
Victoria franticaly tried calling on Sean´s phone again „Come on pick it ut, pick it up!"

Max responded in annoyance „Aaand here we go again, she just won´t let us have some private fun time, will she ?" She sighted for a very short moment „You know what ? Tell her the truth ! Tell her where you are right now and what is happening !"  
Nathan didn´t know what to think her words, but seeing it as the only possible chance, he didn´t hesitate. Max kneeled down, holding the phone to Nathan´s ear with the speaker turned on.

Victoria was more anxious with every passing second. A moment later, the phone picked up.  
„Vic ... Victoria, is ... is that ... you ?" Nathan could spoke only with as much energy, as he had left in him.  
„Ou Nathan ! Yes it´s me ! What happened ? Where are you now ?" she was talking with a louder voice full of concern for both him, and Courtney.  
„I´ve been ... taken. Crazy woman ... tortured ... Max" he couldn´t even form full sentences and was loosing the last bits of will power left in him.  
„Max ?" Sean raised an eyebrow hearing a name, Victoria continued. „Give me her to the phone now please !" Nathan looked at Max, who only nodded her head in refusal.  
„I ... can´t ... ju ... just find me ... „ he then looked at Max who whispered to him, and he just talked back to Victoria „Seattle ... Fern Bluff Road ... 95 ... i´m sor ..." he didn´t even finish and Max ended the call and started talking to Nathan. „Well, now that that´s over with, i think our date for today is over. I´ll be seeing you again tomorrow, so please don´t _run_ away yet, it´s gonna be so much fun ! Bye bye now.". The door closed, the lights turned out, Nathan was left alone, Max heared only sobs, crying and screaming when she was about to leave, ignoring him as if he stopped existing when she left the room.

Victoria finched as the call abruptly ended, her voice was shaken from how Nathan was talking „Nathan is with Max. Seattle, Fern Bluff Road, 95. That´s all he told me before the call ended. I did what you asked, are we ... done ? Is this over ?"  
Sean nodded confirming her question. „Yes, my dear. Thank you, it´s over".  
Victoria breathed heavily, Sean looked at the man behind Victoria. A moment later only two supressed gun sounds were heared, with Victoria´s and Courtney´s body on the ground, a blood pool started to form on the floor. Sean stood up and looked at his men.  
„Alright then, let´s get my son and kill that bitch that´s holding him. And please, clean up this mess you just made."


	3. Chapter 3

Less than an hour has passed since she left for her final preparations. The last phone call set everything into motion for the final confrontation. There´s no time to waste, the end is night.

„I tried to do so much to bring you back. I always wanted my life to be special, but not without you. You were all that mattered to me, and without you, it´s not worth it anymore. Why did you make me choose, trade you over the people i don´t care about ? I haven´t forgotten about you, how could i, when those were the only days in my life that i felt happy. Only the time spent with you, my partner in crime. It´s gonna be over soon, please, watch over me one last time."

Her eyes closed, tears flowed slowly down her cheeks, only lost in thought of the long time that passed, thinking only of him that took it all from them. Standing in front of the door to her nemesis, she waited for her crying to stop. Sign of weakness or any emotion was not something she would allow to be seen.

After a moment the reinforced door opened and was immidiately closed shut, locked tight. Her pitch black coat almost made the room seem even darker, with the only light source loosing power, along with the fading life signs of the one who´s suffering was soon to continue.

As if he was seemingly asleep, on the cold ground, tears visible on his face from just an hour ago. Slowly walking towards him, admiring how well she was doing so far. Reaching into one of her pockets, she took her tonfa into her right hand, and slowly started moving the other end over his sleeve, as is trying to carefuly wake him up. After a moment him not registering she shouted „Wakey wakey, pain n´ bone breaking !".

Nathan shivered and pushed out a short scream in fear, but couldn´t move much for the pain in his leg, hand, and nose. „Hi Nate, i´m back ! Ready for round three i hope, we have so much to talk about ! For a moment i was actualy affraid you would just _run_ away.

„Can i give you a _hand_ to help you get up ? But first thing, let´s get rid of those handcuffs, they´re not needed anymore anyway." Not waiting for an answer, she picked him up with his left hand over her back and took him to his chair and sat him down.

Both of them sighted for a moment, she waited for him to give him a reason to hurt him more, but also to see if he had something to say, if he was aware of what´s to come. She slowly put her hand into her side pocket to hold on an item she wanted hidden for now.

„Let´s cut to the chase. Put your other hand on the table, please." „What ? Why, what do you .." „No questions ! Now please, don´t make me wait." For a moment still hesitant and shaking, he stretched his arm forward, slowly put his hand with his palm down on the table. „So, my question is ... " she took a deeb breath for a moment before continuing „What did Jefferson offer you so that you would do such things for him ? Why didn´t you stop it when you had a chance ? You could have done so much good and actualy put an end to him. But you´ve chosen otherwise, and then just expected pitty and forgiveness."

Thinking for a moment of his past deeds twenty years ago, closing his eyes in thought „Like you would ever understand any of it. He ... made me feel like a i mattered. Was like the father i never had, even got medicine for me, to help me get better, he changed me for the bett ..."

„WRONG answer and i think i heared enought of this bullshit !" As she finished, her moment of calm changed back into pure anger, pulling her hand out of her pocket, revealing a pocket knife that she swung open and stabbed right into his palm, stucking his hand into the table with a deep cut through, where she kept holding onto it, followed by a screaming and his panic by the immidiate pain and blood loss.

„AAAAH NO NO NO ... PLEASE DON´T ... DON´T ... PLEASE STOP" falling on his knees and unable to keep talking from his shock of the sustained injury he only screamed in partial sentences, unable to help himself slow down the bleeding becouse of his other broken arm. „SHUT UP ALREADY ! Let´s not get all _edgy_ all of the sudden."

Just when he thought his suffering could not get any worse, she would _surprise_ him again with how much she is willing to do. „Now that i have you in a _stab_ le position, how does it feel to be captured in a moment of desperation ? And don´t worry, it might have taken about ten tries, but finaly i didn´t hit any veins or arteries, so you´ll be able to hold out. For a while at least", she finished with a psychotic grin, still holding firmly on the knife in it´s intended place, looking him in his desperate eyes.

„Urgh ... please, ma .. make it stop. Ma ... Max, r-right ? What do you accomplish by doing this, Is it just revenge, that´s your whole story ? Huh, do you feel like a hero yet ?" she let go of the knife and sat back down, facing to the side „I´m no hero. Never was, never will be. All the good i ever did or wanted to do, was for her. If i was a hero, if i was a good person, i would have done something, called her during all those years. And none of this would have happened. We wouldn´t be here. And You took her away from me. Are you just trying to give me more reasons to hurt you by listening to your bullshit ? You still have plenty of bones left unbroken. And it´s not like i´m not enjoying myself."

As she finished the sentense, she stood up again ready for one more swing, he closed his eyes knowing what´s to come and unable to move. As she was stretching her arm and moving towards his neck, stopping at the last moment. Feeling only the slight wind from her movement, opening his eyes and gazing at hers. „Wowser ! That was such a pleasant sound, you can´t even begin to imagine ! I could do that for hours. What am i saying ? I´ve already done it for hours, haha!"

„Actualy, i want to know how YOU feel. Do you even feel anything ? Other than everything i´ve broken so far, that is. For all the pain and suffering you and that asshole Jefferson have caused to so many people. I´m hoping that the soap is falling often for him in jail. You on the other hand, are my bitch right here and now and it´s not like you´re given a choice, and even when you had a slight chance to show some humanity and apologize, you threw it all away. So many oportunities to do the right thing, or you just thought that money will save your sorry ass from everything, even murder ?"

Even with his serious injury and heavy bleeding he still found strenght to fight back verbally. „You don´t understand anything! My father never cared about me, not even my mental health, only about his career, as if i didn´t even exist for him as a person, as his own son !"

„Hmm, so i see, you really did think it would be just shrugged off as nothing, just an inconvenience. It takes a strong man to deny what's right in front of him. And if the truth is undeniable, you create your own. The truth, Nathan, is that you're here because you wanted to feel like something you're not. Important. I'm here because you can't accept what you've done. It broke you. You needed someone to blame, so you cast it on your father, your medication, and everyone around you how everyone _used_ you. I know the truth is hard to hear Nathan, but it's time. You're all that's left and we can't live this life forever. I'm going to count to five, then I'm pulling the trigger.

„No Max, please wait ! You can still do the right thing !"  
„This is the only thing that´s left, the only thing that´s right. One"  
„You´ll go to prison for the rest of your life if you do this !"  
„I don´t have any life wroth living anymore without Her. Two"  
„All of this, it was my father´s fault !"  
„So it´s your father who´s _your_ final hate will be _aimed_ at ? Three".  
„I didn´t want to hurt Kate, or Rachel, or ... didn´t want to hurt anybody. Everyone just used me."  
„No one ever does, Nathan. But you´ve hurt a lot of people. Four"  
„Victoria ... I miss you ... so much ... i wanted to tell you how much i still lo .."  
„Fuck You and Victoria ! FIVE !"

And with the countdown over, she fired every single round in her gun, untill the final empty shell casing had hit the cold floor, alongside Nathan´s body. She sighted, reliefed, finaly satisfied „Just one more thing left to do". As she waited for a few minutes she could hear multiple vehicles furiously stopping close to her hideout, opening car doors and one man shouting.

„I want two of you to the left, three of you to the right, and you two come with me !" „Yes Mister Prescott !" The first door to her underground was kicked in soon after, followed by the same voice „Max Caulfield ! I´m comming for YOU ! If you did anything to my son i´m gonna make sure you will suffer till the end of time !" It wasn´t anything to concern her, not one bit, not anymore, as her plans were fufilled, with only her last part to top it all off.

Soon the reinforced and locked door started to take heavy hits from the other side, slowly breaking, but still holding up. As she unzipped her coat, she started off the bomb that she wore as a harness the whole time as a surprise for the visitors "Wherever I end up after this, heaven or hell, in whatever reality, all those moments between us were real, and they'll always be ours. Finaly, after all these years, we´ll be together, forever. I love you Chloe."

She closed her eyes and let her tears flow free, not due to sadness, but redemption. And with her last thoughs, the door crumbled, two men with guns took aim at her, followed up by Sean right behind them. „I always take the shot", were her last words. Flames engulfed the room and everyone inside, the light from the explosion turned the night into day for one breef moment, soon the debris and ashes settled, dark clouds covered the sky , light rain began to fall, it was quiet, it was peaceful, the pain was over, the score was settled.


End file.
